


Do I Have To Ask?

by fragilecapricornpanic



Series: PRE-WRITTEN, Pre-Canon Sibling Encounters [42]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Ben Hargreeves Deserves Better, Ben Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Canon Compliant, Diego Hargreeves is Bad at Feelings, Emotional Hurt, Feels, Gen, Ghost Ben Hargreeves, Good Sibling Allison Hargreeves, Good Sibling Diego Hargreeves, Hurt No Comfort, Implied/Referenced Drug Addiction, Implied/Referenced Dubious Consent, Klaus Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Klaus Hargreeves Needs Help, Klaus Hargreeves Whump, One Shot, POV Alternating, Pre-Canon, Protective Diego Hargreeves, Sad Vanya Hargreeves, Vanya Hargreeves Deserves Better, Vanya Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:28:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26197147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fragilecapricornpanic/pseuds/fragilecapricornpanic
Summary: When Vanya opened the door, she was greeted by Diego. He had a face like thunder, as though he could have steam blowing from his ears. He was gripping Klaus tightly by the arm, looking like a teacher dragging a naughty schoolboy to the headmistress’ office. Klaus looked disheveled and rather pathetic, wincing apprehensively. “Here.” Diego grunted, shoving her previously missing violin into her arms.
Relationships: Allison Hargreeves & Diego Hargreeves, Ben Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves, Ben Hargreeves & Vanya Hargreeves, Diego Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves, Diego Hargreeves & Vanya Hargreeves, Klaus Hargreeves & Vanya Hargreeves
Series: PRE-WRITTEN, Pre-Canon Sibling Encounters [42]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1869709
Comments: 8
Kudos: 176





	Do I Have To Ask?

**Author's Note:**

> This is pre Vanya’s book. This one is darker so just a warning. Dubious con mentioned.
> 
> In terms of the series this is a while after The Void and some time before Book Club but it can be read on its own.

Vanya sat slumped into her couch, nervously picking at her lip. It was starting to bleed, but she hadn’t even noticed the taste of iron seeping into her mouth. She felt like a part of her was missing, an irrational part of Vanya wished she’d lost a leg rather than her violin. Her instrument was a crucial aspect of her very being. It was the only thing in the world that made her slightly less miserable. The only thing that made her have half a redeeming quality. She wasn’t even very talented, her orchestra made her look like a complete amateur - but it was better than nothing. It was her own pathetic little faux superpower.

Getting a new violin would do nothing, it would be like replacing a deceased child with a new baby. It would never be the same. It was her fault really, walking around the neighborhood with it on her back - of course someone would follow her home and wait for her to leave her instrument unattended in her apartment. A stern knocking came from her door, snapping her out of her wallowing. It sounded like the cops. 

She shuffled over to her door, not bothering to get up on her tip toes to peer through the peephole - she’d already been robbed of her prized possession, what difference would anything else make. When she opened the door, she was greeted by Diego. He had a face like thunder, as though he could have steam blowing from his ears. He was gripping Klaus tightly by the arm, looking like a teacher dragging a naughty schoolboy to the headmistress’ office. Klaus looked disheveled and rather pathetic, wincing apprehensively. “Here.” Diego grunted, shoving her previously missing violin into her arms. Vanya gazed down at her instrument, feeling as though she were in a deep dream. 

Looking back over to her brothers, she scanned Diego’s face and then Klaus’ - the realisation dawning on her. The look on her seance brother’s face was _guilt_. “You?...” was all she could force herself to whisper. This was unbelievable, even for Klaus. Anger started to build inside of her, so she clumsily ambled over to her kitchen counter to grab her medication. She couldn’t deal with these emotions. Vanya leant her weight on the counter, trying to stop herself from just sinking to the ground.

“Can I use your phone?” Diego grumbled wearily, sounding like a mixture of furious and depressed. Vanya turned to face her brothers again, wondering if he was going to bring Klaus in with him. “I won’t let go of him.” Diego replied bluntly, working out what she was thinking. Vanya supplied a regretful nod as she swallowed her pill. Diego slammed the door and dragged Klaus into her apartment, the latter purposefully dragging his heels to make Diego’s job more difficult. “Don’t even try.” he gruffly instructed as he saw Klaus checking out Vanya’s window. She wondered if perhaps Diego was going to call the police, it wouldn’t be the first time one of them had had to - and most likely wouldn’t be the last.

“Please!” Klaus begged, trying to shuffle from Diego’s grasp like a toddler having a tantrum. “I swear to god I’ll get clean!” he bit down on his lip in anguish. Diego just ignored his pleading, focusing on punching the numbers into Vanya’s phone. “I promise, I’ll just do it on my own...” Klaus spluttered, growing more desperate. “ _Come on!_ ” he groaned, throwing his head back. Diego briefly lifted his vision from the phone to glare daggers at his brother. Klaus let out a dispirited sigh and stared down to his feet.

Lifting the receiver to his ear, Diego waited patiently for Allison to pick up. She’d better fucking pick up. He wasn’t going to call the cops, he’d probably have an easier time getting drugs inside than on the streets. Last year, Klaus had been released with more of a substance dependence than he’d went in with. The beeping stopped as the line clicked into life. “Allison, it’s Diego.” he grunted, wanting to get this over with. She was always stroppy when he had to do this.

“Do I have to ask?” she drawled, Diego could just tell she’d rolled her eyes. He was just the goddamn messenger, he wasn’t the one doing this shit. 

“No.” he grouchily replied, that was all the explanation she required - they both knew what he was asking for. “If I call them will you wire the money, or rumor them or whatever...” he grumbled, feeling unsure about what it actually was she did. Fame and rumors seemed to practically get the same results at this point. 

Vanya watched sheepishly as Diego nodded to himself and hung up the phone. Her brow was deeply furrowed, she hadn’t been expecting _Allison_. Was this what they always did? She knew Allison had given up rumoring Klaus himself years ago. When they were teenagers she’d rumored him into not smoking so much weed, which instead lead him to using things much stronger. Allison’s rumors were always tricky, they had to be worded so precisely to hold the right effect. They’d also learnt that _“I heard a rumor you weren’t an addict.”_ crossed the line between manipulating people and manipulating reality - it had no effect. Vanya wasn’t sure what finally made her sister stop attempting to control Klaus’ actions, but Vanya knew it hadn’t ended in a good result. It made her gulp anxiously considering whether Allison had ever rumored her into changing things about herself... she wouldn’t even know.

Diego was on the phone again, mumbling things about _available beds_ and _heroin_. Klaus had now flicked his attention over to his sister, sending pleading eyes. He didn’t want to go back to rehab, he had to do shit with a creepy rehab worker to score drugs - and they were never even strong enough. At least most of the time outside he could just steal and lie, only having to force himself to do other things when he was really desperate. What was especially anxiety inducing was the fact that he’d never been to rehab since starting heroin. Klaus imagined it would feel so much worse than usual, he’d recently started to feel like his blood was on fire after only a few hours without a hit.

“Please, Vanny.” Klaus pouted, hoping he looked piteous enough for her to make Diego stop. It was _her_ violin, she should decide the punishment. “Look,” Klaus tripped slightly as Diego shook his arm to steer him away from Vanya “I’m really sorry, I was gonna get it back!” He wasn’t, he definitely _wanted to_ but he knew he wouldn’t be able to. It’s the thought that counts, Klaus believed. Of course he felt awfully guilty, it was just so low on his list of priorities that he’d chosen to ignore it.

Ben sat perched on Vanya’s kitchen counter, mere inches from her. He was watching her sorrowfully, desperate to reach out and touch her. Desperate to comfort her. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Klaus, he was too disappointed in him. It made Ben feel rather nauseous to see his brother like this, he couldn’t stand to witness this car crash. Ben had been closer with Vanya than the others had, besides Five - but he had left so young that they never got the chance to bond as much as she and Ben.

Her deceased brother knew just how much her violin meant to her, he knew it was the only thing their father had ever given her - the only thing she felt somewhat comforted by. Ben had tried to talk Klaus out if it, warned him how dependent Vanya was on her violin - but it made no difference, Klaus’ own dependence was more important to him. His brother had insisted she could just get another. Ben missed his sister so intensely, it felt like a colossally heavy weight sat across his chest. He longed to hug her, to tell her he loved her. She looked so goddamn disconsolate. Deep down, Ben had come to accept his brother would never get clean - but he hoped this particular rock bottom would at least be enough to get him off the heroin. Klaus was more manageable on the other stuff.

Looking down at the the floor rather than having to face her brother, Vanya blinked rapidly to suppress her tears. Hopefully her medication would kick in soon enough to stop her from just sobbing. She tried not to listen to Klaus’ begging, it was just making her feel much worse. She wished she could’ve been born with a power - born with the power to be invisible so she could vanish from this awful situation. Vanya was certain she could never forgive him fully. She’d read a couple books on addiction over the years, she knew he was just so deep into it that his head was barely above the surface... but it still hurt terribly. That violin was her lifeline. This was just another painful reminder that she was Number Seven out of seven. Vanya knew she would end up letting him walk all over her again, she just couldn’t shake the habit of a lifetime.

Hanging up the phone once again, Diego forced a tight-lipped smile to his sister. “Thanks, Van.” he muttered, barely stopping himself from stammering. Her eyes were glossy with tears begging to be released. Diego grabbed his brother’s other arm too, not risking him trying to escape. He didn’t have the mental or physical energy to go around chasing him. If he ran away, Diego would probably feel inclined to just let him fuck off, but he knew he had to try and fight that temptation - his brother would end up dead in a gutter like some shitty cliche. “Can you open the door?” Diego asked of his sister, his voice falling flat. He felt so disillusioned with his brother that it was hard to feel anything but numb.

Closing his eyes and remorsefully accepting his fate, Klaus allowed himself to be pulled along by Diego. “I’m sorry...” he whispered shamefully as he brushed past his sister. At least he’d have new material for the twelve steps.

**Author's Note:**

> Not bashing Klaus he’s just an addict and making very bad choices whilst he’s in a bad patch. They all need hugs.


End file.
